Thursday, June 30, 2005

Broken WindowsThe latest issue of The Journal of Law & Economics has an excellent piece on the relationship between crime prevention and economic factors (Carrots, Sticks and Broken Windows by Hope Corman and Naci Mocan). The piece demonstrates a fairly elastic correlation between burglary, robbery, vehicle theft, grand larceny and murder and economic factors such as minimum wage and unemployment rates Interesting that there is no such relationship with assault and rape; crimes that appear to be committed unrelated to economic pressures.

"Broken Windows" refers to the Giuliani "get tough" on crime approach that New York City popularized throughout the 1990s. Some have argued that this reduction in NYC crime had less to do with law enforcement, and was more likely attributed to the sustained growth of the economy throughout the 90s. The authors argue that economic variables were not significantly influential to New York and the 90s boom, but also, broken-windows policing was not universally significant (Further, other urban areas in the States saw a substantial reduction in crime, without a significant increase in misdemeanor arrests).

Turned to bile with this address to IVAC directeur, Jean Ranger in early 2005.

And finally became all-out war with this appeal in response to IVAC's decision to deny our family victim compensation for the death of Theresa.

------------------------------------------------

Some have criticized me for my lack of decorum in responding to IVAC, stressing that I must always keep a cool head in these affairs (you may have been right, I haveregrettibly burned some bridges in these affairs). I have argued that 26 years is too long to wait on politeness.

Today, I received IVAC's final decision to my appeal:

They have reversed their decision and agreed to compensate the family $1,100 for the loss of our sister / daughter.

MORE IMPORTANT they have acknowledged that Theresa's death was a criminal matter, and they scoff at Quebec Police's suggestions that she might have died from suicide or drug overdose.

This is the first acknowledgement in 26 years from a Quebec public official that Theresa died as a result of criminal actions.

A great victory.

My heartfelt thanks to Pierre Hugues Boisvenu who helped a friend, and Isabelle Grimard who knew the truth when she saw it.

On November 3, 1978, Theresa Allore was last seen alive in the residence of CollÃ¨ge Champlain in Lennoxville, where she was studying. She lived with her parents in Compton.

Her body was found by a trapper in April 1979, in an arm of the RiviÃ¨re Coaticook, less than one kilometer from her home domicile. Her body was face down, was dressed only in underwear, and was in an advanced state of decomposition.

The autopsy conducted in 1979 was unable to find signs of violence, and the advanced state of decomposition did not allow for identification of the exact cause of death, or the presence of toxic substances.

At the relevant time, the police held the theory that her death was due to a drug overdose because there was a party at which drugs were used held at the college the night she disappeared.

The autopsy report found that the cause of death remained indeterminate in the absence of any clear sign on the body of traumatic violence or detectable anatomicopathological cause of natural death. The toxicity analysis was unable to provide evidence of the presence of the usual drugs or of drug abuse,Theresa's torn scarf was found in a farmerÂs field and one week later her purse was found 10 kilometers away.

The personal research conducted by the deceasedÂs immediate family between 2002 and 2004 revealed that three women were murdered in the same geographical area, which murders remain unsolved to date.

Firstly, it must be noted that in order to be entitled to benefits under the Crime Victims Compensation Act, preponderant evidence is required. It must be shown that the facts submitted are serious, accurate and concordant to accept a particular conclusion as being the most likely (50 % +1). This evidentiary requirement is clearly different from that in a criminal trial, where it must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of the crime charged.

As usual, the most interesting questions go unanswered. Like how did a hack formerly writing tabloid journalism for the Toronto Sun become the voice of legitimacy for the Globe and Mail?You can dress her up...but she's just Nancy Grace in horn-rims as far as I'm concerned.

Friday, June 24, 2005

By Deborah CharlesWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The cover-up is over at the U.S. Justice Department.

After more than three years of being blocked by large blue drapes, two Art Deco aluminum statues of semi-nude figures in the building's Great Hall can be seen again.

The "Spirit of Justice" and the "Majesty of Justice," which loom over the stage in the Great Hall, were blocked from view by curtains installed by the department in January 2002, when former Attorney General John Ashcroft was in office.

The curtains were quietly removed on Friday after a decision by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Justice Department spokesman Kevin Madden said.

At one end of the stage is a 1930s-era female statue representing the "Spirit of Justice." Although she wears a toga-style garment, one breast is exposed. At the other end of the stage, a male statue represents the "Majesty of Justice," and has a cloth draped by his waist.

When they were covered up, officials working for Ashcroft -- a devout Christian -- said the move to spend about $8,000 for curtains to cover the figures were made for "TV aesthetics."

"The assistant attorney general for administration, Paul Corts, made a recommendation to remove the drapes from the Great Hall and the attorney general agreed with the recommendation," Madden said.

The decision to install the curtains sparked a myriad of jokes and Ashcroft became fodder for late-night comedians.

After he took office in February, Gonzales was asked frequently when and if he would remove the drapes. His answer was usually that he had more important issues to deal with than the statues.

Before the curtains were installed, photographers often shot pictures that included the statues in the picture when an attorney general was speaking.

When Ashcroft announced plans to restructure the Justice Department to focus on terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacked plane attacks, photographers took pictures showing him with the towering female statue in the background.

The most famous picture of the female statue came in the 1980s, when Attorney General Edwin Meese released the final report of his commission on pornography.

Monday, June 20, 2005

Does this surprise anyone?

Mon, June 20, 2005Slaying links to B.C. were rumouredBy STEVEN SANDOR, SUN MEDIAEDMONTON -- Speculation of links between prostitute slayings in Edmonton and Kamloops, B.C., has existed for months on the street, Sun Media has learned.

Kamloops River of Life church pastor Lydia Gilbert, who works with prostitutes and street people, said she had already heard rumours the Edmonton murders and three unsolved cases in her city might be related.

The Canadian Press reported RCMP were investigating possible links between the slayings of Edmonton prostitutes linked to a "serial offender" and the Kamloops killings.

Kate Quinn of Edmonton's Prostitution Awareness and Action Foundation, visited Kamloops in April with other members of her organization. They were there to talk with Kamloops city council and discuss funding concerns with their B.C. counterparts.

"One thing we discussed was that the Yellowhead is a link between Edmonton and Kamloops," said Quinn. "Just as women can be transported via the Yellowhead across the prairies, so could a killer."

Alida Irving, the mother of one of the three slain Kamloops prostitutes, said she asked RCMP about the possibility of a link months ago, but got no clear answer.

"I just want him caught. I don't want him to get away with what he did," said Irving.

The latest monthly newsletter from the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime is now available on their website.Among the many excellent bits of information is this "recommendation" from the RCMP that victims should stay away from the trial of Robert Pickton:

The RCMP has notified families of Vancouver's missing women to stay away from future court appearances by Robert Pickton, who is now facing 27 counts of first-degree murder. The advice has outraged some families who are worried they are being shut out of the trial.

The letters from the RMCP inform the families that they may be called as witnesses and therefore should not be present at pre-trial proceedings.

Some families are also worried about an application made by Pickton's lawyer asking the court for a wide ranging publication ban, including prohibiting those in the public gallery from repeating anything heard in the courtroom to anyone outside the courtroom.

The highly unusual ban is aimed at foreign media and Internet sites that could sidestep a traditional ban on publication. "The court would remain open, anyone in the public could attend, but the information they learn, they could not communicate to others," said Peter Ritchie.

If adopted, the ban would make it a crime to tell someone over a cup of coffee about what happened in court. Reporters could not tell their editors and. Members of the victims' families could not tell others who did not attend court.

The case has been subject to intense media coverage so far, and Mr. Ritchie contends that media scrutiny will likely increase, rather than decline as more information is revealed before the trial.

So what took police so long to reveal that Project Kare was more than just a trolling exercise? If you take the words of Myles Lake, the father of one of the victims, police never saw dead prostitutes as much of a priority:

"This may sound ignorant and vulgar, but it's the truth: If it would have been an RCMP officer's daughter or [Alberta Premier] Ralph Klein's daughter, it would have been taken care of a long time ago... How many girls is it going to take to catch this person? It's getting as bad as that pig farmer down in B.C."Lake's comments are depressingly accurate (but in light of Pickton, shouldn't we have demanded that the RCMP handle this one with a little more savvy?).

Now listen to the RCMP's excuse - via Constable Tamara Bellamy - for waiting eighteen years to disclose to the public that a serial offender has been at work in the Edmonton community:

"Police are not comfortable officially labeling him a serial killer because it seems to be terminology that is sensationalized by the media, by movies..."

This old gem is sung all too often, and frankly it is the kind of shuffling that insults the intelligence of the public. Yes, it is a hindrance to law enforcement to prematurely panic the public about the hunt for society's monsters. Also, the air waves are jammed with the sound of amateur profilers - pumped on the sleuthing steroids of the CSI effect - offering speculation, misinformation, and innuendo.

That said, there are a good number of rational minded people who - believe it or not - have not been following every daily nuance of the Natalee Holloway case, or care less about the Karla-countdown. Yes, the media's frenzy for doling out this daily pap - like some steady and macabre I.V. drip - is irresponsible, but this does not excuse the RCMP from the responsibility to disclose this critical information to the public.

Especially unsettling is that the police can make the decision to disclose or not to disclose without any review process. Should there not be an oversight process - outside of the cumbersome Federal Public Inquiry, which is too costly and lethargic to be effective - where police are held accountable for such decisions? Eighteen years is an awful long time to be kept in the dark. We should expect law enforcement to at least give a review board an indepth answer as to why public disclosure was not undertaken, and some analysis of whether any mistakes may have been made along the way.

Friday, June 17, 2005

I had a really good dayMy friend Michael from work has been the one who has been pushing me to run with him during lunch in Durham. Michael's one of these "Wellness" fanatics. (Actually, now that I think of it, I believe he's on to something.)

Anyway, we had a going-away party today at the City for an employee who is moving along to greener pastures. So Michael was sitting down enjoying a piece of cake with Councilman Howard Clement, and this gave me an opportunity to sit down with Howard and get to know him a little better.

Then I went and played hockey, and I want to tell you; running twenty miles this week really paid off. It never felt so effortless. I never got winded, my legs were strong. It felt like being a kid again it was so much fun.

This brunch came about because I drive by Crook's Corner on my way home from work, andI recently realized that - although often compelled to do so - I had never actually set foot inside Crook's Corner.

Monday, June 13, 2005

Christine Carretta's pleaIs it asking too much to have the man who murdered your sister transferred from your neighborhood so you perhaps may not run into him when he's out on day parole?Apparently, Correction Canada thinks it is.I have included here an article about the Carretta's struggle, followed by the letter from the Carretta's to the warden at Centre Laval:

Christine Carretta, the eldest sister of Gerbet murder victim Cathy Carretta, said she is furious that Homolka and Gerbet seem to get all the breaks while prison officials ignore her fears and concerns about the killer pair's bizarre union.

"They are protecting the wrong people here," Carretta said.

Still reeling at revelations killers Gerbet and Homolka have for the past three years been involved in a prison "relationship," Carretta is incredulous prison officials continue to keep Gerbet in a minimum security skills training prison camp in Laval -- only a few kilometres from her home.

Noting how Homolka did whatever her ex-husband Paul Bernardo told her to do, Carretta is scared Homolka is now under the spell of Gerbet.

Gerbet, 38, stalked and then murdered Cathy Carretta after she broke up with him in 1998.

A Quebec jury convicted him of second-degree murder and sentenced him to life in prison and recommended no parole for 20 years.

But a trial judge cut that recommendation in half and gave a 10-year parole ineligibility.

Gerbet is already eligible for day parole and can seek the first stages of full parole this fall.

Gerbet met Homolka, 35, in the library of Ste-Anne-des-Plaines maximum security prison in 2002.Gerbet worked there as a volunteer. Homolka was withdrawing books.

Prison inmates say the two are deeply in love, exchanged underwear and photos and ultimately plan to marry and move to Gerbet's homeland of France.

Homolka has almost served a 12-year prison sentence for her part in ex-husband Paul Bernardo's sex slayings of Kristen French, 15, and Leslie Mahaffy, 14, and for the drug-rape death of her youngest sister, Tammy Homolka, 15.

Sources say Homolka will be freed from prison July 4.

A Joliette court that slapped numerous release conditions upon Homolka a week ago heard evidence that Homolka and Gerbet were writing each other until two weeks before the hearing.

One of the conditions Homolka faces is to refrain from contacting anyone with a violent criminal record for the next year.

The condition was clearly aimed at her link to Gerbet.

Carretta fears Gerbet -- who has threatened her in the past -- will instruct Homolka to do her harm.She has written a letter to the Laval prison warden asking that Gerbet be immediately moved to another prison.

Saturday, June 11, 2005

HILLSBOROUGH -- A murder charge against Andrew Douglas Dalzell, who police say admitted killing Deborah Leigh Key in 1997, was dismissed Friday by the district attorney.

Calling Dalzell a "confessed killer," Orange-Chatham District Attorney Jim Woodall said he had to dismiss the second-degree murder charge against him because of a judge's ruling in January that the confession was inadmissible in court.

The judge determined Carrboro police officers violated Dalzell's rights by, among other actions, not giving him a Miranda warning before interrogating him. Orange-Chatham Superior Court Judge Wade Barber also said the officers violated North Carolina law by using trickery and deceit to convince Dalzell he was being charged with murder when in fact he was being charged with stealing some items from a hobby store where he once worked.

Without the confession, there was not enough evidence against Dalzell to charge him with killing Key, Woodall acknowledged Friday.

Key, then 35, was last seen with Dalzell, now 28, in a bank parking lot near a bar called Sticks and Stones in downtown Carrboro on Dec. 1, 1997, after the bar closed at 2 a.m. Key's whereabouts are still unknown.Key's family did not attend the press conference Friday at the Orange County Courthouse, and they could not be reached for comment.

"I've spoken with the family of Deborah Key. Obviously, they're very disappointed in this," Woodall said. "They do understand the decision. I think they accept it at a certain level, but they're very disappointed because this doesn't give them the type of closure they would have wanted to have in this situation."

Dalzell's stepfather, George Mullen, said Friday the family would have no comment about the charges being dropped. Mullen previously had said his stepson made a false confession under the threat of death.

Woodall, who was appointed the new district attorney when his boss Carl Fox became a Superior Court judge, said he conferred with Fox and the state attorney general's office about the confession.

"I undertook over the last month and half to two months my own independent research into this area of the law, and I've been convinced that it's highly unlikely that that confession could ever be used in a court of law," Woodall said.

Dalzell's attorney, Orange-Chatham Public Defender James Williams, said the announcement the murder charge had been dismissed came as no surprise.

"We had been told as long as two months ago this was going to happen," Williams said. "Obviously, he's relieved that this has occurred, and I am [relieved] for him."

What the Carrboro officers did was a serious breach of constitutional and statutory law, and it wasn't just their trickery that was the problem, Williams said. "He had been coerced and threatened," Williams said of his client.Dalzell was always the prime suspect in the disappearance of Key, since he was the one last seen with her. But for years, despite following every lead, Carrboro investigators were unable to find enough evidence to charge him.Last fall, Dalzell called Carrboro police and asked if an officer could stand by while he moved out of his apartment because he was worried about some of his neighbors.

The officer who came noticed some fantasy figurines at the apartment, and upon further investigation found out Dalzell was suspected of stealing the items from the hobby store where he once worked.

Police obtained warrants to charge Dalzell with stealing the items, and they drove to Stanley, N.C., where he was living with his girlfriend and her parents, to arrest him on those charges.

Instead of telling him why he was being arrested, the officers showed him a fake murder warrant and fake letter, purported to be from then-District Attorney Carl Fox, saying he was being charged with first-degree murder and would receive the death penalty unless he immediately told police where Key's body was.The officers never told Dalzell the real reason he was being arrested, and the judge ruled they interrogated him before giving him his Miranda rights. Saying he did not want to die, Dalzell, according to police, blurted out that he had taken Key's body to Wilmington and put it in a Dumpster there.

Barber wrote in his order that Dalzell made statements because he feared he would be put to death if he did not do so.

The Carrboro police officers made mistakes during their investigation of Dalzell, Woodall acknowledged, but the DA expressed his faith in them during the press conference Friday.

"I think they undertook this investigation and the specific course of action which led to Mr. Dalzell's confession with good intentions and with good will and in good faith," Woodall said.

"They had a case that essentially had become a cold case. There were very few, if any, leads left," Woodall said. "They took a course of action that they thought could lead them to the person who did the crime. Of course, they did obtain a confession from Andrew Dalzell."

Carrboro Police Chief Carolyn Hutchison spoke briefly at the press conference but didn't say much about the actions of her officers.

The department has a learning environment and the officers had learned from what happened, Hutchison said.

While the murder charge has been dismissed, other charges against Dalzell, including six counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, larceny by employee, possession of stolen property, financial identity fraud and obtaining property by false pretenses still stand. Woodall expects those cases could be on the court docket for late July or August.

Williams declined to say much about those charges except to note that one of his assistants is handling those cases, and he expects there could be some legal issues to be resolved since some of the information officers obtained for those charges came from the tainted murder investigation.

The investigation into the disappearance and death of Key is still open, Hutchison said. Key's family is offering a reward for information that could help solve the case. The amount of the reward has not been determined, but would be given in addition to a reward offered by CrimeStoppers.

Hutchison asked that anyone with information on the case to call the Carrboro Police Department at 918-7397 or CrimeStoppers at 226-2746.

Several of Key's friends attended the press conference Friday.

"For seven years, we wondered where she was," said Joy Preslar. "We were in denial for years hoping she was on some amnesic trip down in the Bahamas," she said.

Preslar now believes Dalzell killed her friend and just knowing what happened has brought her some closure, she said. Nevertheless, she added that she and her friends still tromp through the woods off N.C. 54 west of Carrboro looking for Key's remains after a psychic said that's where they were.

"Where is she?" Preslar said. "Just tell us where she is so we can give her a proper burial."

Dalzell was accused in the 1997 murder of Deborah Key. Her body has not been found.The development comes after a judge in January ruled that Dalzell's confession to Key's murder had to be thrown out. He said he strangled the woman and threw her body in a Wilmington Dumpster.

But a judge said Carrboro police violated Dalzell's rights after showing him a fake arrest warrant and death penalty warning. The judge also said officers misled Dalzell about the charges he was facing and did not take him before a magistrate as soon as possible.

"There was a ruling that in this case deception went too far," Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall said. "I'm not arguing with that ruling. I just want to point out that courts in North Carolina and across the United States have said that police officers can use deception. In this case, I believe the Carrboro police officers did this with the best of intentions."

Dalzell still faces unrelated charges. A jury was never seated in the murder case, and prosecutors have the right to bring back the murder charges.

...which is remarkable. I usually run 2 miles on the treadmill (I hate running, I only do it to stay in shape for hockey). I've been egged on by some people at work who complained about my running shoes (I had been running in skateboard sneakers; when I ran outdoors, they gave me shin-splits).

Thursday, June 09, 2005

Eels' front man Mark Oliver Everett, better known as E, emerged as one of the great modern songwriters with his band's 1998 album Electro-shock Blues. As with much of E's work, the songs are deeply personal and concern his family. The album was written after his mother died of cancer and his sister committed suicide. Similar themes are explored again on his latest album, Blinking Lights and Other Revelations, which received a five-star review in The Sunday Times when it was released.

E's family , its dysfunction and tragedies , doesn't just provide him with subject matter, it also gives him poetic inspiration. "After my mother died and I went to clear out the family house in Virginia, I discovered one of my grandmother's books of poetry, Music of Morning. I had heard stories about my crazy grandmother who wrote poems. But I didn't realise until then just how good she was."

E printed one of his grandmother Katherine Kennedy Everett's poems, Prelude, on the sleeve of Electro-shock Blues: "Let me lie on your heart like snow/Cool and apart/for a moment, so/Before the flames start/and the snows melt/and the waters flow."

"I love that, it's really beautiful," he says. It was also important for E to find another family member who could express emotions. "Maybe it skips a generation," he says. "My grandmother's work is passionate, full of life and longing. That was an influence on me , that vibrancy is something that I strive to achieve." Indeed, the final line of the album is "Maybe it's time to live".

The lyrics of title track of Electro-shock Blues derive from writing that E's sister Elizabeth did in a psychiatric hospital. "They had given her an exercise," he explains. "She was told to write out 'I am okay' 100 times. She managed it a few times, and then she started writing 'I am not okay'.

"Elizabeth had the family curse, but she didn't have the family gifts. Without doubt, the thing that has kept me from the dark end of the family street is that I've been able to write these songs. The thing that ultimately killed Elizabeth is that she couldn't do anything like that. By creating a song from her words, I wanted to give her that , the gift of being a poet."

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

I will admit that I am suspicious and confused about the implications of abolishing North Carolina's death penalty, but Dave Hart got it spot-on in last Sunday's CHN editorial:

House should heed Hackney’s call

Calls in the General Assembly for a two-year pause in executions by the State of North Carolina have come loudest from our neck of the woods.

Two years ago, state Sen. Ellie Kinnaird of Carrboro sponsored moratorium legislation and succeeded, against steep odds, in getting it passed by the Senate.

Now Rep. Joe Hackney of Chapel Hill is a primary sponsor of a similar bill that is clinging to life in the House. The measure, which would halt executions for two years while a commission explores the fairness and reliability of the system, stalled last week a few votes shy of the total needed for approval. Hackney and other supporters have a few weeks to try to persuade fence-sitting legislators to tip their way.

It may be easy for resistant legislators from the more ruddy areas of the state to dismiss the call for a moratorium as liberal hand wringing by those left-wingers who run southern Orange County.

Many opponents of the measure suspect that it’s actually a back-door push for abolition of the death penalty altogether.

But the bill calls simply for a suspension in executions while a bipartisan commission examines whether the ultimate penalty is fairly and responsibly administered in this state.

This shouldn’t even be a tough call.

If the state is going to put people to death, it had better be rock-solid certain they are guilty. We’ve seen too many convictions overturned in recent years to have that certainty.

To continue administering executions in the face of the record of exonerations and overturned convictions would be irresponsible in the extreme.

Even the most ardent supporter of the death penalty should insist that we take every conceivable step to ensure that it is never administered to an innocent citizen. That’s precisely what the moratorium is intended to do.

The FBI is hastening to prepare its latest attempt at a case file system and is cutting corners to do so, according to a report released today by the House Appropriations Committee. The report stated that the project speed-up would introduce some risk, but that bureau officials were relying on program oversight organizations to control the process.

The Appropriations Committee report, carried out by the panel’s Surveys and Investigations Staff, recaps the failure of the Virtual Case File project to build an FBI case management system, as reported.

In an eerie foreshadowing of the new report’s statement about hasty software work, VCF contractor Science Applications International Corp. of San Diego said earlier that its use of parallel software development teams to hasten the case management project contributed to its downfall. The appropriations committee report called the VCF follow-on project “Enterprise Information Systems,” as well as “VCF Track II” and “Project Z”—names used before officials chose the Sentinel designation for an updated and reshaped system.

According to the report, bureau officials decided to begin building system requirements and a concept of operations for Sentinel before obtaining an approved business case. “Although working these efforts in parallel is contrary to the FBI’s best practice lifecycle management principles, a bureau official advised that they are ‘scrambling’ to meet senior management’s desire to move ahead quickly,” according to the report.

“However, other FBI officials, while noting this parallel approach introduces some risk, advised that the risk will be mitigated since the project will not be allowed to go forward until approved by the FBI’s Investment Management/Program Review Board,” the report stated.

An FBI spokeswoman said: “The FBI has implemented a coordinated strategic approach to IT, which includes centralized management under the office of the CIO. Under this plan we have an enterprise architecture, a lifecycle management directive, defined IT processes and procedures, several IT governance boards, an IT investment management strategy and a portfolio management system.

“Implementation of these new processes and procedures has now better situated the FBI to develop new IT systems including the Sentinel program,” the spokeswoman said.

An overview of the current state of victim services in Canada, from the victim’s point of view. Topics will cover grassroots efforts, advocacy, policy and legislation initiatives, political climate at the provincial and national level.

This was, in fact, me taking the piss out of a reporter. I figured if she was going to come into our wheel-house and badger us, the least I could do was to make her watch a tedious hour-and-a-half of geezers chugging slowly on ice.

"Next week, ESPN will air Rhythm in the Rope , a 60-minute documentary on double-dutch jump-rope athletes.

Let me repeat: double... dutch... jump... rope.

As funny as that may sound, would you bet your life that more people would watch an NHL game than would tune in to that? That more people would watch Steve Yzerman than jump-rope legend Stephone Webb? That more people would prefer the battle between the Jazzy Jumpers of Brownsville and defending champion ASGRM out of Japan than they would a showdown between the Vancouver Canucks and Carolina?

Friday, June 03, 2005

Freaky Friday

Man, what is going on? So I just got a call from a producer at CNN. They're going to be in Chapel Hill next week and wondered if I'd do an interview about Jim S for the Nancy Grace show:

"Oh, did Nancy get my letter?""Ahh, no I haven't seen it yet, I hope it was complimentary?""No it wasn't.""Oh.""It was about how I hoped in the coming months she wouldn't exploit the pain of this family."Oh, well I'll have to look out for it... as you know, Nancy herself is a victim and is always acting in the interest of victims."

(ya, I just bet she is)Anyway, I won't be interviewed for CNN. Here is my letter I sent to Nancy Grace two weeks ago:

Ms. Grace,

Last night while watching your program I saw you make what I consider to be an appalling gesture in reference to the Sapikowski murders: A cocksure movement of your hands, as if to be reloading a shotgun.

While such theatrics may serve your interest, I'm am sure as a human being you will understand that they do nothing in the interest of the Sapikowski family, who at this time is suffering greatly.

I knew Jim well. Also, my sister was murdered, and currently I devote a lot of my time working with people who have suffered loss through murder. The process of victimization for the survivors begins after the loss, and can be greatly exacerbated by the media, who unwittingly can often do things that seem completely logical for their desire to serve a story, but are wholly destructive for survivors.

I would ask you to keep in mind that there are survivors here, especially Jim and Alison's daughter, now orphaned; she does not deserve the indifference of a callous and uncaring media.

You will undoubtedly be covering this story for some time to come. Keep you desire for sensation in check, remember your humanity - which I know you have. None of us in the community of Chapel Hill deserve to see the Sapikowskis destroyed any further than they are already grieving.

I thank you for your consideration. (this message is private and not intended for broadcast or commentary)

If you read my blog you will know my level of contempt at how the media is preying on the Carrettas.Please leave them alone for now. If you want to speak to someone about it, please contact Pierre Boisvenu at AFPAD (www.afpad.ca). Christian Carretta is a founding member of AFPAD.

Christian Carretta found out on Wednesday that the man who killed his daughter was getting cozy with Karla Homolka.

So he made certain to appear next day at the hearing that would decide how closely she would be watched once freed.

"I feel implicated in this," Carretta said yesterday at the Joliette courthouse. "I want my daughter's killer to be closely monitored, so the same should go for Homolka."

Jean-Paul Gerbet, 38, is serving a life sentence for the murder on Feb. 10, 1998, of Cathy Carretta, his former girlfriend.

Gerbet was convicted in November 1999 of strangling Carretta at the Laval home she shared with her father, then transporting her body to a chalet belonging to the family in St. Charles de Mandeville.

Gerbet and Cathy Carretta met at a wedding of a mutual relative in Paris in June 1997, and Gerbet moved to Canada soon afterward.

Carretta broke off the relationship a few months later, but Gerbet continued to pursue her at work, on the street and at her father's home.

He copied her home key after Carretta asked him to return the original.

Homolka met Gerbet during her stay at the Ste. Anne des Plaines maximum security institution between March 2001 and May 2003. She was transferred there after the publication of photos of her at a Joliette prison birthday party caused public outrage.

The two struck up a correspondence that was closely monitored by correctional authorities and rumours swirled that they planned to get married.

In 2003, the parole board described their relationship as one that had rapidly gone from affectionate to sexual and used the correspondence in its argument against granting Homolka parole.

"Homolka got away lucky," Christian Carretta said. "She should have got at least 15 years. Now I just want her to move to the Ontario countryside and disappear."

Carretta is one of the founding members of Quebec's Association des familles de personnes assassinees ou disparues, the group run by Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, father of Julie Boisvenu, who was raped and murdered in 2002 in Sherbrooke.

Although Gerbet is not a Canadian citizen and will probably be deported to France on his release, Carretta's family have expressed concern for their safety.

"I am ... worried about my own safety," Cathy's sister Christine wrote on a blog maintained by John Allore, whose own sister was killed near Compton in April 1979. "What safety measures are in place by the government to assure my protection once he is out? What he did out of vengeance to Cathy he can do to me."

The blog can be found at http://whokilledtheresa.blogspot.com/2005_01_01_whokilledtheresa_arc hive.htmlrrocha@thegazette.canwest.comkstastna@thegazette.canwest.com

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Dear Mr. Allore,I am a journalist at the Gazette newspaper in Montreal. I have readChristine Carretta's testimonial on your web site and was wondering whetheryou might have a telephone contact for her. I am trying to reach her orother members of her family for comment regarding the recent revelation thather sister's killer, Jean-Paul Gerbet, has struck up a relationship withfellow convicted killer Karla Homolka, who is soon to be released fromprison.I can conduct the interview in either French or English. I would appreciate any assistance you can provide. Best regards,Kazi StastnaThe Gazette1010 Ste. Catherine St. W. Suite 200Montreal, Qc., H3B 5L1Tel: (514) 987 2474Cell: (514) 702 3878Fax: (514) 987 2399

Overview: The Executive Director of The Women’s Center leads and manages the Center’s programs and personnel. The Director implements the philosophy, objectives, policies and procedures set by the Board of Trustees (see www.womenspace.org)

Qualifications:The Executive Director is a senior leadership position in a nonprofit organization dedicated to the empowerment of women and girls in the Triangle. The applicant must demonstrate the following qualifications:

Education and Experience:• A college degree is required. An advanced degree is preferred but not mandatory• At least three years successful senior leadership position. Management of a nonprofit (501C3) or similar organization preferred. • Proven track record in fundraising and financial management• Demonstrated commitment to the advancement of women’s issues among a diverse population

Skills:• An understanding and vision of what a successful nonprofit looks like and how to get there• Strong management, financial, fundraising, supervisory and community relations skills• Extensive knowledge of how to raise funds through grants and donations from foundations, government agencies, corporations, community organizations and individuals• Ability to manage and develop a professional staff and large volunteer force• Strong interpersonal and public speaking skills to relate effectively with clients, staff, volunteers, community organizations and the media • Ability to work collaboratively with an involved and dedicated Board of Trustees• Ideally, knowledge of the diverse population of women served by the Center

Responsibilities:As senior leader of The Women’s Center, the Executive Director works under the direction of the Board of Trustees to achieve the mission of the organization. Responsibilities include:

Management:• Works with the Board to develop a long term strategic plan and implement it through the development and tracking of annual plans.• Works with the Board to develop policies within which the Executive Director can direct the activities of the organization• Provides timely reports to the Board and Executive Committees on key Center activities and informs the Board of issues which affect the organization• Acts as a liaison between the staff and the House Foundation

Fundraising:• Actively pursues the expansion of the funding base by creating and monitoring an annual development plan to meet the financial requirements of the organization. Provides the support services to the Board to implement the plan and updates projected revenues on a continuous basis.• Prospects, oversees, reports on and maintains records of grants for the Center’s programs.

Supervisory:• Supervises a staff comprised of 8 employees. Coordinates the hiring process, new employee orientation and maintenance of all personnel files.• Organizes the staff to achieve program and policy objectives adopted by the Board• Delegates to staff members the independence and authority necessary to achieve high quality performance• Ensures that job descriptions are current, compensation is competitive with the local market and that written personnel policies are maintained.• Provides appropriate staff support to Board committees as requested• Directs the staff in the effective utilization of volunteers

Community Relations:• Represents the Center on community task forces, inter-agency collaborations and in community relations with other organizations• Speaks on behalf of the organization to the media or in other public forums or events

Application Process: Submit cover letter of no more than 2 pages, resume and salary requirements. Send to “Search Committee, The Women’s Center, 210 Henderson Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514”. No email or faxes will be accepted. The packet must be received by no later than end of business on June 2, 2005. The announcement will be made by August 1, 2005.

Not-Ready-For-Prime-TimeThis is a non-news event. The headline should read, Following Proper Procedures, School Gives Over Records:

Judge: Durham Academy Must Surrender Records

POSTED: 11:55 am EDT June 2, 2005UPDATED: 12:08 pm EDT June 2, 2005

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. -- Durham Academy must give police and prosecutors the school records of a 17-year-old student who is accused of killing his parents two weeks before their bodies were found.A Superior Court judge ordered the school Wednesday to surrender the records of Adam Sapikowski. The teen is charged with murdering his parents in their Chapel Hill home.District Attorney James Woodall asked for Sapikowski's attendance records, grades and progress reports.

He also wanted reports of disciplinary actions involving Sapikowski at the private school. He declined to comment on why he wants the information.

Ah The Gazette... always sensitive to the interest of victims.Now here's a real class act:

Dear Mr. Allore,I am a journalist at the Gazette newspaper in Montreal. I have read Christine Carretta's testimonial on your web site and was wondering whether you might have a telephone contact for her. I am trying to reach her or other members of her family for comment regarding the recent revelation that her sister's killer, Jean-Paul Gerbet, has struck up a relationship with fellow convicted killer Karla Homolka, who is soon to be released from prison.I can conduct the interview in either French or English. I would appreciate any assistance you can provide. Best regards,Kazi StastnaThe Gazette1010 Ste. Catherine St. W. Suite 200Montreal, Qc., H3B 5L1Tel: (514) 987 2474Cell: (514) 702 3878Fax: (514) 987 2399